Readers of the New York Times will recognize author Elaine Louie from the Currents column, where she penned the series The Temporary Vegetarian. Upon wrapping up The Temporary Vegetarian in August 2011, the book The Occasional Vegetarian was published as a scrapbook of recipes from the column. I myself have enjoyed her NYT column over the past couple of years.
I anxiously dove in to the cookbook. It is an ecletic mix of side dishes which can served as main dishes. The recipes were contributed by chefs from mid-level New York restaurants. It is with amusement, and sadness, that I report that several of the contributing restaurants are no longer in operation. The recipes themselves, though, are respectable. Most of the recipes reflect the chef's ethnic heritage or favorite international cuisine in a manner simplified for the home cook. It feels like a trip around the world as you read the pages. On the other hand, most of the recipes should be served with additional side dishes. Some chefs offered suggestions, but others did not. I wanted to see more serving suggestions.
Most of the recipes are dumbed-down versions of ethnic classics. I do see a value in this simplicity because the recipes are adaptable by the everyday home cook. They do not require special equipment or impossible-to-find ingredients. It is also a nice way to expose new cuisines to the everyday cook who wants to try something different by cooking a dish that's Ethiopian, Lebanese, or Portuguese, to give a couple of examples. I took away a lot of ideas.
I really liked how the recipes were organized. They are listed alphabetically and named with the principal ingredient as the first word of the recipe. This makes the recipes easy to find. Thus, you will find a recipe for "Corn Chowder", rather than "Summery Chowder of Corn" or some other such invention.
I do think less people are apt to buy a cookbook featuring vegetables than something sweet like cookies or cakes. I would recommend this book for a person who enjoys cooking with (and eating) vegetables already. Due to the lack of pictures, it is also best for someone with an intermediate skill at cooking, someone who knows their way around the kitchen. It would be really great for a person who lives with a vegetarian or vegan, because many of the recipes meet those requirements without being "overly" veggie. Further, many of the recipes can be adapted to add meat if desired, thus it is a perfect way to cook for a mixed vegetarian and omnivore household. Novice cooks and those on a soul journey of purification can skip the book. Hopefully this information helps you decide if the book is right for you. You can click on the NYT blog link above to see recipes and get a feel for whether it is the right book for you.
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